Nintendo Switch 2 selling on Chinese black market for over £30,000
A leaker claims Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are already being sold on the black market, but they're not cheap.
A leaker claims Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are already being sold on the black market, but they’re not cheap.
We’re still months away from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and, despite a relatively underwhelming reveal in January, it seems anticipation for the console remains sky high.
Beyond the Impressive viewing figures on the reveal trailer, Nintendo is expecting huge demand for the console and is ramping up production in order to counter scalpers at launch, which is rumoured to be in or around June.
According to a known leaker though, it seems Switch 2 units might already be out in the wild, on the Chinese black market.
A post on the Switch 2 subreddit – which allegedly comes from the same person who shared Switch 2 renders last year on the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu – shows an alleged text exchange between the leaker and a black market seller.
While the majority of the text has been blurred out, it’s claimed the black market seller is selling the Switch 2 tablet, Joy-Cons, and dock for a total price of $39,780, which is roughly £31,588.
Chinese CAD model leaker shows a screenshot of his DMs with a black market seller, saying the prices for the Switch 2 dock, joycons, and tablet will cost him $39,780byu/Icy-ConcentrationC inNintendoSwitch2
If you’re wondering why anyone would buy a console for such a high price, it’s believed the seller is shopping the Switch 2 unit out to accessory manufacturers who want to test the system before it comes out, so they can potentially profit from it when it does launch.
Considering there is no visual evidence of the Switch 2 unit itself, it’s difficult to gauge how legitimate the seller is – or if it’s simply a 3D printed render of the console with none of the actual functionality. Either way, it’s a lot of money to risk on something with no obvious provenance.
Nintendo is set to showcase the Switch 2 in a Direct presentation on April 2, 2024, where it’s expected to reveal the price, release date, and games on the system.
There’s still many questions around the Switch 2 but recent patents appear to confirm the console’s mouse functionality and magnetic Joy-Cons, along with the existence of an unexpected upside-down feature.
The important question of the console’s price has not been raised yet, but it’s assumed to be in the region of £300.
The console is rumoured to launch in June (Nintendo)Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.
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